Doctors at Walter Reed hospital in Maryland gave President Donald Trump the antiviral remdesivir to treat him for COVID-19, the president's physician said.

Dr. Sean Conley said that after consulting with doctors at the hospital, he recommended the president be moved to Walter Reed National Medical Center for monitoring.

"This evening I am happy to report that the president is doing very well," Conley said in a late-night update. "He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen, but in consultation with specialists we have elected to initiate remdesivir therapy..

"He has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably."

Marine One transported Trump to the Bethesda hospital Friday evening, less than 24 hours after he announced his COVID-19 diagnosis. The president tweeted late Friday.

"Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!" he wrote.

In addition to remdesivir, Conley administered an experimental antibody treatment to Trump at the White House called regeneron Friday.

Remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead Sciences under the brand name Vaklury, is an antiviral originally developed to treat hepatitis C, which was unsuccessful. It was later determined to work against multiple viruses, including coronavirus.

Clinical results for the antiviral in COVID-19 trials have been mixed, with one study in August showing the drug doesn't improve outcomes in people hospitalized with moderate pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

But research published in May suggested the drug might be effective in people with severe COVID-19.

A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that seriously ill patients infected with the new coronavirus had an average recovery time of 11 days after receiving the drug, compared to 15 days for those given a placebo.

Researched published last month showed that remdesivir administered in combination with baricitinib -- treatment for rheumatoid arthritis -- can reduce the recovery time for people with COVID-19 when compared to people treated with just the antiviral.

Remdesivir works by slowing the production of enzymes that play a key role in the replication of viruses, including coronaviruses, according to Gilead Sciences.

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